Zoom-Based Arabic Learning During and Post Covid-19

: Arabic students of IAIN Kendari are unique in terms of their living environment which still had internet network issues lead to different experiences in using Zoom. Research on the sustainability of Zoom-based Arabic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic aimed to analyze creative and innovative learning models and observe through the perception of Arabic students of IAIN Kendari towards the use of Zoom as a learning medium during COVID-19. A qualitative and phenomenological approaches were used. The data were collected by interviews and documentation. The respondents in this study were 20 Arabic course students from the 2019 batch who attended lectures using Zoom. Data analysis, data reduction, data display and conclusion were discussed. The results showed varied responses from students to Arabic learning based on Zoom. Most of the students stated that Zoom was well applied in learning compared to other media. It was also proved efficacious with a few palpable advantages, such as students’ visibility during classes and room capacity to accommodate larger numbers of students. The results illustrated that Arabic learning on Zoom, both during and post Covid-19, may continue by considering the condition of the student learning environment. After participating in distance learning through its application, the changes occurring at the level of students pertain to increased levels of involvement in the use of ICT, leading to the learners who initially did not use the platforms and switching to Zoom as a learning medium and benefiting from discussions and other existing features.


Introduction
In recent years, information and communication technology (ICT) has shown rapid development, leading to a tangible impact on teaching and learning models. Apart from being a source of information, ICT constitutes a medium that helps with the learning process and finding references. 1,2 This creates the emergence of several devices as new alternatives, including mobile-based learning devices. 3 With this device, a teacher can change the conventional learning process into creative and innovative learning. 4,5,6 Distance learning is a learning process in which teachers and learners circumvent the face-to-face process, using information and communication technology media, particularly the internet, with its interaction and facilitation aspects, as a method of delivery. 7,8,9 ICT offers support and a learning system design that can be studied and used by learners. 10,11,12,1314 One of the recent ICT media used for learning Arabic at home is Zoom, 15 which is widely used today as a learning platform and a medium of learning in educational development despite its difficulties. During the COVID-19 pandemic, zoom enabled students to benefit from its learning features and activities and particularly helped increase the effectiveness of learning Arabic. Changes in learning models were palpable during the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic was seen as a catalyst in accelerating changes in learning models. The existence of lockdown policies during the pandemic has succeeded in creating an online learning model, wherein teachers and students were forced to transform and adapt to the newly introduced learning model. Zoom has become a booming medium and is widely chosen in online learning during the pandemic. In addition, Zoom has established itself as an alternative that provides many benefits. 16,17 The results of previous studies show that zoom can improve learning outcomes. 18,19 Research shows that zoom has a positive effect on learning motivation; 20,21,22 other studies show that Zoom has several advantages, including simplicity in its application, wide selection of features, larger capacity to host participants, and high-quality access that can support learning. 23,24 The pre-research was again carried out on November 18, 2021, during which the researchers conducted interviews with 8 students of IAIN Kendari Arabic Language Education Study Program class 5, semester 5 of the 2021-2022 academic year and found that almost every Arabic class in the courses used zoom in language learning.
Among these courses are Nahwu III, Insha II, Nahwu IV, Muthala'ah II, and Muhadatsah IV. Here it can be seen that Zoom is one of the media that is more dominant in its use as a medium for learning Arabic during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the lecturers' use of Zoom in learning Arabic accounts for their perceived effectiveness associated with Zoom. Pre-research done before found that there were various perceptions of Arabic language education students for the class of 2019 regarding the use of Zoom in learning Arabic during the covid-19 pandemic. With regard to Zoom-based Arabic learning during the pandemic, on the one hand, it enabled learning facilitation for lecturers and students, and on the other hand, it encountered various problems including internet network disturbances, lacking lecturer-student interactivity, and dependence of students on lecturers as not all students mastered the use of ICT at home.
Nevertheless, resorting to zoom as a medium in Arabic learning proved interesting to study and report on. Arabic is a highly complex subject that requires practice of writing, listening, and memorizing. 25,26 Therefore, the adoption of appropriate media was essential for the sustainability of Arabic learning, both during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on this, this article reports the results of the current research on the perceptions of Arabic-IAIN Kendari students of the use of Zoom as an alternative medium for learning. Because of the uniqueness of IAIN Kendari Arabic students with regards to living environment and the ensuing internet functionality problems, the findings will certainly give a different picture of the use of Zoom from that received in other regions of the world.

Methods
This research is qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The data collected is not numerical but expressed in words and pictures. Data collection took place at the IAIN Kendari campus. The choice of the research location was based on the considerations of the researcher when conducting pre-research observations where the researcher saw predominant Zoom in learning Arabic during the Covid-19 period. Data is collected through in-depth interviews, document analysis, focused discussions, and observations that were recorded in notes. The research sample was Arabic-IAIN Kendari students who took Nahwu, Muthala'ah, and Muhadatsah courses.
Primary data in this study can be interpreted as data obtained from the first source from interviews with concerned individuals. Thus, primary data is the main data source in this study, which is Arabic Language Education students who used the Zoom application in learning Arabic during the Covid-19 period. Interviews and documentation were conducted using research instruments previously prepared. The number of 25 Adas and Bakir, "Writing Difficulties and New Solutions: Blended Learning as an Approach to Improve Writing Abilities." International journal of humanities and social science 3.9 (2013): 254-266. 26  respondents in this study were the 2019 Arabic Language Education batch (20 students), who attended courses via Zoom. Secondary data is data that was further processed and presented as supporting data. In other words, it can be said that secondary data is data obtained from previously conducted studies and IAIN Kendari library documents deemed relevant to the present research.
Data was collected by means of in-depth interviews and documentation. In this study, interviews were conducted face-to-face, via telephone, and WhatsApp application.
The form of information obtained is expressed in written form. The interview was conducted with the aim of obtaining information about students' perceptions of the use of Zoom in Arabic learning during the Covid-19 period in Arabic Language Education course, advantages and disadvantages of using Zoom in Arabic learning, and the obstacles and solutions found by students against the use of Zoom in learning Arabic. In this study, documentation was used specifically to determine the perception of Arabic Language Education students from the 2019 course of the use of Zoom in learning Arabic. The selected documentation is screenshots of using Zoom in Arabic learning and photos of interview sessions conducted together with students who can support this research data.
Data analysis was conducted to obtain valid data in accordance with the research objectives. The data obtained from in-depth interviews were then analyzed using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach with the following analysis steps: (i) problems and research questions formulation, (ii) data reduction, and (iv) data analysis. Data analysis was carried out carefully through the following steps: translation, interpretation and reading, where reading is done by arranging various categories and elementary interpretation through translation to interpretation. To ensure the validity of the data and avert research bias, the validity of the data was tested with steps including extended observations, continuous observations, and triangulation.

Results and Discussion
In general, the results of the study describe the data collected through in-depth interviews and documentation of Arabic language students at IAIN Kendari. Against the results obtained, we conducted an analysis to find out about student perceptions of the use of zoom in Arabic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, perceived advantages and disadvantages of using zoom in Arabic learning, and obstacles and solutions found by students during the Zoom experience. There are various responses in the context of students' perceptions of using zoom in Arabic learning. Based on the results of the interviews, it can be concluded that the use of zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic was auspicious in the Arabic learning experience. In addition, Zoom can display faces directly, resulting in better intelligibility of the delivery of the materials presented. This is supported by more complete features compared to other learning media.
The documentation of Zoom-based implementation of Arabic learning is shown in figure   1. In addition, some students expressed that their experience using Zoom was unfortunate. Based on the results of these interviews, it can be concluded that the use of Zoom is still not favorable. Zoom appears to use relatively excessive internet quota, resulting in students' being financially burdened and the platform becoming an obstacle when encountering unstable networks in certain areas, such as coastal areas. Zoom is very helpful for learning Arabic. Online learning done from home certainly has advantages and disadvantages that determine the success or lack thereof with regards to online learning. Based on the results of the interview, it can be concluded that the use of Zoom has advantages over other learning media. These advantages include being face-toface in a classroom, having a large capacity to accommodate students, and having various features suitable for learning Arabic, such as presentations and discussions.  In addition, other students believe that Zoom has shortcomings in learning Arabic. Based on the results of the interviews, the use of Zoom seems to have advantages and disadvantages as a medium for learning Arabic. However, it requires a large amount of internet quota, making it burdensome for students. In addition, Zoom has a limited time (about 40 minutes) and displays problems when the network is not friendly. During the pandemic, one of the most widely used Arabic learning medium is Zoom. Although this platform was considered better than other media, students encountered a few obstacles during the learning process. So based on this, students found solutions that can be adopted to overcome every Zoom-based learning problem. The results of the interview show that the use of zoom in the Arabic learning process still has various other obstacles. Apart from network problems and internet quota, learning environment issues also emerged. The most common solution was to find a location with a stable network.
For internet quota, they prepared before learning. As for the obstacles to the learning environment, both inside and outside the home, students looked for quiet places to circumvent disruptions.
This research reflected upon responses on the use of Zoom as an Arabic language learning medium that allows its users to see and hear directly the learning materials delivered in an easy, clear, and accessible way. This is referred to by Syarifah and Khasanah, in their research on Zoom, as an application that can be used to conduct meetings or join discussions face to face without having to meet physically. In addition, using Zoom can support communication needs wherever and whenever the users are. 27 Based on data from interviews and documentation on the Arabic language learning process, there are several advantages of using the Zoom application in the learning process: it runs smoothly in addition to (1) being able to display faces virtually, (2) accommodating many participants, (3) and having a variety of features that support the Arabic learning process during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is in line with research conducted by Haqien, which states that among the advantages of Zoom are a large room capacity, a variety of features, good video sound quality, and very supportive presentations 28 . Zoom is a highly regarded application to use because one of its advantages is the ability to display faces directly even though they are virtual. This is also supported by research conducted by Monica and Fitriawati, in which learning with video conferencing can replace learning face to face in class with virtual face-to-face activities through the help of applications connected to the internet network. 29 Lack is an obstacle to achieving Arabic learning goals during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the online learning process, there are several shortcomings: (1) some students being constrained by the internet network, (2) consumption of excessive internet quota, (3) limited usage time, (4) and some students' inability to access audio and learning materials. This is in line with research conducted by Haqien & Rahman, in which the Zoom Meeting feature is considered less effective because what often happens are network or internet-related issues for students who do not use Wifi, which has an impact on the quality of learning they receive. 30 There are still many educators who are not proficient in using online learning applications, especially the use of the zoom application, which is still limited in time and requires a good internet connection. 31 This research indirectly indicates that after participating in distance learning through the Zoom application as a medium, the changes that occur in students are more involved in the use of information and communication technology whereas those who initially did not know the Zoom application as a learning medium have now revisited their choices and started using it for learning, by accessing a Zoom room, discussing, and taking advantage of its existing features. In addition, the tangible changes are that they understand the material delivered faster where the delivery of material through the Zoom application is easier to deliver with various Zoom features, such as the feature of displaying learning material on the screen, the comment column where questions are asked, the raise-a-hand feature if one wants to ask questions directly, or if one wants to add answers and many other useful features to support the online learning process. This can improve student learning outcomes during the online Arabic learning process.
In addition, a small percentage of those who answered that the use of Zoom was not beneficial as an online learning medium; these were students who lived in coastal areas and they could not hear clearly the Arabic learning materials delivered. Others could not even join due to the same reason-network disruption. In addition to network disturbances, the use of the Zoom application, according to some, was also considered very wasteful in the use of internet quota; therefore, sometimes it became a financial obstacle for those students. The use of Zoom as an online Arabic learning medium during the Covid-19 pandemic has limitations in its use, but this does not entirely prevent the delivery of learning materials from running optimally. Zoom cannot resemble the Whatsapp application, which can store files and voice recordings in conducting online learning, but Zoom has features that can support the online Arabic learning process. In addition, when using Zoom, several disturbances can cause the learning process to be disrupted by the existence of a weak network, so video display and sound become intermittent and are also constrained by the limited internet quota. This of course can cause students to be less focused and materials of Arabic less intelligible.
This study has a few shortcomings in the interview instrument used, which still lacks information about students' perceptions of the use of Zoom so the information obtained about the use of Zoom as an Arabic language learner is still inadequate.
Therefore, the researcher suggests that further research can make more detailed interview instruments in eliciting information about student perceptions or using other studies to further explore the research. In addition, the use of Zoom in this study is specifically for learning Arabic during the time frame of one semester level. It is hoped that future researchers can further expand the scope of courses using Zoom, beyond Arabic courses.
In addition, in this study data collection techniques are still limited, namely dependence on interview and documentation techniques; it is hoped that other researchers can add observation or other data collection techniques so that the data obtained is more leveraged.

Conclusion
Responses to the use of Arabic language education for the 2019 class to the use of Zoom in learning Arabic during the Covid-19 pandemic varied; most of them came from the Zoom application because it was considered better to use in supporting Arabic learning. A small part also argues that the use of Zoom as an Arabic language learning medium during the Covid-19 pandemic did not return auspicious results. The advantages of using Zoom include: being able to display faces virtually, accommodating many participants, and having a variety of features that support the Arabic learning process during the Covid-19 pandemic. The disadvantages of using Zoom include: students' being constrained by the internet network, consumption of excessive internet quota; limited usage time; and students' inability to listen to the learning material. Constraints found in the use of Zoom, include: network interference, insufficient internet quota, and unfiltered sounds from the surroundings. The solutions considered in dealing with the above obstacles, include: finding a stable network, maximizing the fulfillment of internet quota, and looking for a quiet, conducive place. For future researchers, it is hoped that they can conduct similar research but explore more the use of the Zoom application in learning Arabic using different types of research methods. In addition, further research is still needed, both developmental and in-depth regarding the use of the Zoom application in learning Arabic during the Covid-19 period at IAIN Kendari.

Acknowledgment
The researchers would like to thank Tarbiyah and Teacher Training Faculty of IAIN Kendari for the financial support.

Author Contributions Statement
Authors have contributed to conceive of the presented idea. BB helped to develop the theory and verified the research methods. AB and HE performed the data collections and computations. AZ encouraged AB and HE to investigate a specific aspect of research. SB did the formatting and language editing of the article. All authors discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript.